MATERIALS, FORMS AND MEANINGS

The Process of Materials, Forms and Meanings / Choosing Who We Are

The Process of Materials, Forms and Meanings

One of my main research themes was the way in which the use of lightweight materials contrasts with the use of heavy-duty materials, in particular the way meanings and emotions can be conveyed by vertical, horizontal and abstract lines. These lines could be chalk marks, brush strokes, fabric seams and wooden materials which could be used to construct 2D or 3D drawings, paintings, performance, sculptures and installations.

My art evokes contradictory ideas and meanings; those of imprisonment, anger and danger while suggesting a sense of protection. Often my work is an expression of my moods. Difficult days that I go through will appear in my artwork as darker shades and marks, which show forms of anger, stress and difficult periods. References to road crossings and scaffolding represent signs of power, protection and safety. These can be seen through my identity as an Asian woman, often feeling isolated and frightened; a lonely journey that is expressed through vertical and horizontal representations. Scaffolding can be seen in terms of representing my use of crutches; the way they help me to keep upright and protect me from falling when walking, just like scaffolding is used to support buildings.

I deliberately select certain materials that are a challenge for me to use in a new way. If I cannot manage anything, then I request support from my learning facilitator to either pour or hold, unpack, clean or arrange materials for me. Some of the materials represent social values in the different cultures we live in; others represent the history of my background and the experience of my disability. I create marks on surfaces that are developed further into other sculptures. I use lightweight materials to show gentleness in the work, which is represented through using lines and grids. Other materials are more heavy-duty for large pieces of work that are transformed into sculptures and installations. Part of the process of experimentation for me is to use materials in such a way that might be shocking for people from different backgrounds, disabled and able-bodied people. I wanted to show people that I could set and overcome challenges to show that women are able to work just as well as men with different materials.

Some artists make work using different themes, ideas and techniques to express their personal life and how they live amongst their families, friends and other people. My own work has revolved around this by expressing my personal experience in my drawings, paintings and sculptures. I have represented my journey, feeling isolated and separated from the Asian community and friends. It feels as if I am in a prison and trapped by my own family and the local Asian community.

Maria Helena Vieira Da Silva often made paintings that involved her painful experiences and insecurity; she began to produce paintings of her life, trapped in a cage or ...